Finally got around to building this cage trap I've been drawing up for some time now. It's a powered double ring lock door with a wire trigger. Still working the kinks out but so far it fires and locks fairly reliably. All welded out of 2x4 horse panel so it's nice and tough. Trigger mechanism is super simple and mostly external so don't think coon I'll be too big of a deal as far as damaging the trap. Anyhow this is most likely gonna be another skunk trap. Just figured y'all find it interesting. Hopefully I'll have a few possum or skunk catch pics soon




Thanks!
God Bless !

That's really cool Wolfdog!!! How long did it take to build after you had the plans drawn?

I think most skunks could squeeze through 2x4 wire??
But that might be a good thing.

Yes that is really cool! You have a talent! Do you need something to hold one door open while you set the other? I like the hog panel but wonder if the openings are too large? While small possum and coon can't escape they might get their head stuck in the openings? Also, is the conibear trigger easily replaced because I'd expect big coon to be tough on the wire. I think your idea would work great for a beaver trap if you increased the dimensions?

Well I've had the plans drawn up for about a year now. This one took me probably five hours total but that's with cutting grinding,fitting,talking, cutting said tacks ,regrinding,re fitting and so on lol. Now that I have a good prototype it should take much less time I'm thinking maybe 45min if I pre fab the trigger mec and such. That being said if j had more round stock and I could just fab a door and runner set with the rings already on. Then I could just plug and burn it in so to speak

You know I get that alot lol. So far I haven't really had the problem with skunks getting out of my cages but the striped skunks down here are pretty chunky and seem like they would l have a hard time getting even their heads through. I can understand the possibilty with those tiny spotted skunks ( civits ?)Possibly a real small stripped. It majority I doubt

I would be worried about coons reaching in from the sides to steal the bait and or tripping the trap. What do you do to counteract that WD?

Well thank you! The doors are attacked to the trigger with a little hook. So basically I can set the trigger ,hook one door then go to the other side and hook the other without touching the other door. Or I can leave on door down if i want. And again I just haven't had the problem with critters getting their heads stuck. Haven't really caught enough in my cages to come to any definite yet though. As far as the trigger wire I had a better idea where I could replace them but with this I just welded in a old conni trigger lol. As far as for beaver,I don't think the ring lock is best espically in the water. I th I k it would end up being too slow on the lock up. However the boys in WA have and ingenious design. Lots of variations but the main idea is basically a beaver sized colony trap with a trigger.

That's awesome!!!!

Wolfman we’re going to see you on the front cover of fortune 500 magazine one of these days

That's another thing I get asked alot with the 2x4 wire lol. And honesty it makes perfect sense because if you try to set this like you would say Havaheart ( say just out in the open or on the side of a barn)with small wire its not gonna work very well because they can just reach though. However i just simply don't set my cages like that. always try to set them like you would for cats. I want the back and sides of my cages backed up into somthing so the easiest way to get the bait or even see the open g of the cage is to come from the front. Just bout every where j trap has high grass or bushes so it's really no bother to just shove the cage back into a bush or in some high grass or the back of the cage up next to a tree and drag a few limbs over to the sides. And the thing I like about the double door is I can just set it in a trail and not even worry about bait. Espically for possum and skunk. Theyll just lumber along and hit the trigger. I know folks do it with the comstock advanced traps and they catxh beaver otter cats fox coon and so on so the principe of blind setting with cages works ,just gotta see if I can make it work for me lol

Far be it from me to pick apart the work of genius trap designer, but I wonder if the tall design (compared to width) would make this trap top heavy and prone to tipping over. Once that happens, a raccoon can use its insane dexterity and unrelenting determination to slide the rings and open the door. A long rebar stake driven in from the top on the side opposite the trigger side would solve this issue easy enough.

I have been reading your post since you started on T Man and you are always coming up with a new ideas .Keep it up .

Very true with ring doors. Always plan for that because it will eventually happen.

I wonder if there is enough flex in that door for a smaller coon to squeeze out.

Nice trap WD, looks like it would be good for cats and fox.

You are correct ! That's actually what I usually do. I was thinking of welding a pair of wagers in both sides if the trap so I can run my stakes through those instead of through the cage

Possibly, reckon we well see lol